In addition to showcasing student work, we welcome renowned guest speakers to share their knowledge and discoveries in various topics related to research, creativity and scientific innovation. All events are open to the public.
Jessica Hooten Wilson is the inaugural Seaver Scholar of Liberal Arts at Pepperdine University and a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum. She is the author of several books, most recently Reading for the Love of God and The Scandal of Holiness, which received a Christianity Today Award of Merit in 2022. Her first book, Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov received a Christianity Today book of the year in arts and culture award in 2018. In 2019 she received the Hiett Prize for Humanities from the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. She is co-editor of Learning the Good Life: From the Great Hearts and Minds that Came Before and the volume Solzhenitsyn and American Culture: The Russian Soul in the West, a collection of essays on the legacy of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Other awards include a Fulbright Fellowship to Prague, an NEH to study Dante in Florence, a Biola University sabbatical fellowship funded by the John Templeton Foundation, and the 2017 Emerging Public Intellectual Award.
Makenzie Anders ’24, Elementary Education Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Tim Crook, Dr. Kimberly Brockman Class: Classroom Management
Teacher retention is a significant issue facing public shools in Kentucky and across the nation and significant behavioral challenges are contributing to teacher decisions to leave the classroom (Baker, Gentry & Larmer, 2016). Teacher preparation programs must meet the challenge of equipping new teachers to establish and maintain classrooms that are proactive and positive while also addressing the significant behavioral challenges created by some students. Research indicates that when teachers are better equipped to meet student behavioral needs, they are more likely to continue in the teaching profession (Doran, 2020; Reitman & Karge, 2019). Asbury University has been increasingly committed and intentional in efforts to prepare teachers to meet the behavioral needs of students by offering additional and adjusted courses and opportunities. To determine if the courses have been beneficial to our students as they enter the field, we conducted research through a series of questions on a survey as well as follow-up interviews. The following questions were addressed during our research: 1. How effective have each of the courses and opportunities offered at Asbury been in equipping educators to effectively manage behavioral challenges in the classroom? 2. How can Asbury better prepare candidates to effectively address behavioral challenges? 3. Are issues with behavior a significant factor in teacher retention among Asbury graduates? This research was designed to help guide future decisions regarding the teacher preparation program at Asbury University.
Sara Brewer ’24, Biology Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ben Brammell Class: N/A
Environmental DNA (eDNA) utilizes DNA that organisms release into the environment to detect their presence and provides an efficient, non-invasive method to determine organism presence/absence. Recent works have emphasized the need for high quality, carefully tested assays for use in species-specific marker studies and the need to validate these oligos in silico, in vitro, and in situ. We developed species-specific qPCR assays for three widely distributed species of semiaquatic North American salamanders: northern red salamanders (Pseudotriton ruber), spring salamanders (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus), and mud salamanders (Pseudotriton montanus). Primers and probes were designed based on sequences obtained from locally collected specimens and were screened in silico (twelve species) and in vitro (six species) for specificity against salamander species that occur sympatrically with the targets in various parts of their range. Water samples were collected from field sites in Robinson Forest in eastern Kentucky (Breathitt and Knott Counties) and analyzed for target species DNA. G. porphyriticus DNA was detected in 10/38 samples, albeit at low concentrations. P. ruber DNA was detected in 15/38 samples. P. montanus analysis is in progress. This project provides thoroughly vetted tools that should prove useful for future monitoring or range delineation studies of these species.
Rebekah Bogle ’24, Chemistry Applied Research Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Will Shafer Class: Senior Research
The purpose of this research is to develop a device that allows researchers to take an instrument to bodies of water that contain species of interest. Currently, gallons of water must be transported from the body of water of interest to the researcher’s lab, where the eDNA must be multiplied by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) so that its response can be magnified to a point where it is quantifiable. Additionally, eDNA tends to degrade after a certain amount of time in the environment, so having an instrument that would allow for faster analysis would be beneficial. Other problems stem from the multiple steps involved in this process; this makes it time intensive, and there is both a higher cost and a higher chance of human error or other errors. The proposed method will allow for more cost-effective analysis of small organisms in the water. The proposed instrument will be composed of glass slides treated with 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl-trimethoxysilane (APTS), then treated with DNA primer specific to species of interest. A Horizontal Attenuated Total Reflectance Accessory (HATR) was used with a Fourier Transform – Infrared Spectrometer (FT-IR) to demonstrate the presence of each additional layer added to the glass slides. The APTS and DNA primer have been shown to successfully be bonded to the slides via the HATR with FT-IR. Continuing research will involve testing means to qualitatively identify successful eDNA bonding, then further testing will ensure the primers are specific when used on the slides.
Anna Bruns ’23, English Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Erin Penner Class: ENG 345 Experimental Forms
Jacob’s Room is one of Virginia Woolf’s earliest novels. It is a prime example of modernist literature, and since the novel’s publication, critics and readers alike have understood it to be about Jacob Flanders through the eyes of other people. I argue that it is an early form of stream of consciousness and that Jacob is the narrator. This altered interpretation will change the way that the novel is read. With her characteristic avant-grade approach, Woolf opens the door to new thematic elements and deeper questions of the human psyche. This reading of Jacob’s Room will bring World War I to the reader unlike any other wartime novel, and it will drive the reader to deeper questions about humanity, character, and how we experience life.
Sarah Carter ’23, Biology Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Marvin Ruffner Class: Senior Research/Senior Seminar
Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin [Lauraceae]) is a native eastern North American shrub and which grows in the understories of deciduous forests. The plant shows potential for restoration plantings and plays several ecological roles. The seeds undergo a dormancy period, and the purpose of this research was to determine if there are specific conditions required to break seed dormancy. The factors tested were the presence of fruit pulp, acid scarification, physical scarification, cold-moist stratification location, and cold-moist stratification length. After the treatments and stratification were complete the Lindera benzoin seeds were placed under grow lamps. The theoretical percentage of germination was highest for the seeds that had their fruit pulp removed. None of the seeds that received an acid treatment germinated. Further analysis of the results is needed to determine their significance.
Natalie Conley Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cheryll Crowe-Johnson Class: N/A
Flipped classrooms and virtual manipulatives have become more popular in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine if flipped classrooms and virtual manipulatives affect student engagement and understanding. The subject of the research was one third-grade student. The student participated in fifteen one-hour-long tutoring sessions. Half of the sessions were flipped classroom with virtual manipulatives while the other half were traditional classroom with physical manipulatives. The student was given a geometry pre- and post-test to assess understanding of topics. To assess student engagement, the student completed a self-assessment at the end of each lesson and the student’s parents provided insight on flipped classroom sessions.
Abigail Fletcher ’23, Biology Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ben Brammell Class: BIO 475 Senior Seminar
Environmental DNA (eDNA) has rapidly become a firmly established method for detecting organisms of research and conservation interest and promises to greatly increase the ease, efficacy, and scope of ecological studies. In this study, four darter species were chosen for assay development and testing: E. flabellare (Fantail darter), E. caeruleum (Rainbow darter), E. blennioides (Greenside darter), and P. caprodes (Logperch). The developed assays were tested in silico with Mega X and Clustal W as well as in vitro with endpoint PCR before environmental water sample testing. Initial field testing indicates successful detection of darters in a manner consistent with field observations apart from E. blennioides.
Isaiah Friedeman ’23, Bible-Theology Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Brian Shelton Class: NT 391 Typology of Salem
In Genesis 14, Melchizedek commits the curious action of serving bread and wine to Abraham. Considering the work of the author of Hebrews, there is no further need for proving the typological connection between Christ and Melchizedek. However, this paper will attempt to strengthen this tie between the two biblical figures by establishing a connection between the Last Supper and Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine. Further, the typological connection between Absalom and Jesus through Davidic sonship will be a primary concern. Finally, all three of these men will be tethered through geographical connections as kings of Salem and, more specifically, through significant actions preformed in the King’s Valley.
Abigail Garland, Biology Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Marvin Ruffner Class: Kentucky Academy of Science
The invasive shrub, Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) outgrows and outcompetes native flora. As such, the regeneration of Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), a dominant canopy tree which grows on limestone soils in Kentucky forests, is a conservation concern as Q. muehlenbergii regeneration is vital to long-term population viability and longevity. In central Kentucky, forest understories dominated by L. maackii are hypothesized to have produced unfavorable environmental conditions (e.g., low light availability) for Q. muehlenbergii recruitment and survival. Therefore, it is predicted if Q. muehlenbergii seedlings establish in areas dominated by L. maackii, then Q. muehlenbergii seedling survival will be very low as a result of L. maackii dominance effects in the forest understory (i.e., low light availability). In a L. maackii management experimental series established in spring 2022, Q. muehlenbergii seedlings (n = 47) were identified, recorded, and caged to protect from deer browsing (n = 30). In May and September 2022, Q. muehlenbergii seedling height, canopy cover, and survival were measured and recorded. Preliminary results show that Q. muehlenbergii first-year survival was highest (85-90% surival) in L. maackii removal plots compared to untreated plots (70%) still dominated by L. maackii. Q. muehlenbergii survival and growth will continue to be studied in this L. maackii management study over time to determine if the presence of L.maackii impacts the regeneration survival of Q. muehlenbergii seedlings in central Kentucky forests. Findings from these studies will provide important information to private landowners and land conservationists to aid the conservation of Q. muehlenbergii in forests of Kentucky and surrounding regions.
Willem Hanssen ’24, Mathematics Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Sydney Penner Class: Ethics
The aim of this paper was to settle the moral discontinuity felt about different kinds of unethical actions in videogames. Ambitiously, I tried to settle this moral discontinuity in conscience by providing an entire moral framework to determine whether an action could be considered immoral or not. This was accomplished by examining a telling passage from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, which indicates that fantasies can be morally evaluated. This view was shown to be supported by Augustine, in his commentary on the very same passage and other works on what actually makes something a sin. From those arguments, I postulated a moral principle to evaluate fantasies, which was dubbed the Matthew Principle; namely, “any action you ought not do in real life; you ought not fantasize.” By drawing parallels from fantasies to playing videogames, the two phenomena were considered similar. Thus, the Matthew Principle was set in terms of videogames: “any action you ought not do in real life; you ought not do in a videogame.” If this principle is sound, then it has dramatic implications for the gaming community. Gamers ought to take notice and readjust their virtual activity. It is a matter of good and evil.
Faith Hopps ’24, Elementary Education Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Brittany Worthen Class: ED 300
Gifted and Talented Day is an event hosted by Asbury University for 5th grade gifted and talented students in Jessamine County. This year’s event was entitled CLUEDO and provided several schools the opportunity to participate in a day full of critical thinking, collaboration, and fun with Asbury Education students.
Joanne Jung Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Ben Brammell Class: N/A
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an emerging tool that promises to greatly increase the ease, efficacy, and scope of ecological studies. Recent works have highlighted the need for carefully tested assays for use in species specific marker studies and thorough vetting of eDNA primers using as many local sequences as available. We developed species specific primers for use in qPCR eDNA detection of H. scutatum and tested these primers in silico and in vitro against sympatric species to ensure specificity. Additionally, we tested these primers against H. scutatum species collected in New York and note that they successfully detect specimens from more northern portions of the range of this species. We also shared tissue with a project in which assays were developed to detect H. scutatum from New York state. In this case, developed assays failed to detect an eastern Kentucky H. scutatum specimen. Previous research appears to indicate these results are consistent with our understanding of mutation rates in various regions of the mitochondria, cytochrome b versus the intergenic spacer region. Furthermore, they suggest that the mitochondrial region utilized in assay development is crucial in determining the specificity of eDNA oligos.
Lucas Lee ’23, Exercise Science – Kinesiology Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Elise Kearns Class: EXS 475 Senior Seminar
A critically appraised topic focused on identifying whether functional electrical stimulation can be used effectively to improve levels of independency in people who have suffered from an incomplete spinal cord injury. The spinal cord independence measure III was utilized as the outcome measure to assess patient independence post discharge from the hospital. Two randomized controlled trials were analyzed, both with functional electrical stimulation as the intervention and included spinal cord independence measure III as one of the primary outcome measures. Due to the physiological nature of spinal cord injuries, there was no significant impact of functional electrical stimulation on improving spinal cord independence measure III scores.
Lillie Lewis ’23, Biochemistry Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bruce Branan Class: Senior Research
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation. Although transplantation is the preferred treatment for most patients, the limited availability of kidney donors and the risk of graft rejection present obstacles to successful transplantation. Immunosuppressant drugs are used to hinder the donor recipient’s immune system from attacking, and ultimately rejecting, the donor organ. However, immunosuppressant drugs have toxic side effects and give rise to opportunistic infections. Targeted therapies aim to reduce the immune system’s reactivity to the donor organ while maintaining normal immune responses in the rest of the body. Immunophenotypic analysis is a research method used in immunology for identification and quantification of blood cell populations, which is beneficial for characterizing unique immune responses in various diseases. While conducting immunophenotypic analysis in pre-transplant ESRD patients, an abnormal cell population was identified. This research has identified a significant percentage of whole blood cells in ESRD patients expressing B cell marker CD19 and NK cell marker CD16. There is minimal description of cell populations expressing these markers in the literature and no previous description in ESRD. The results of this study indicate that CD19+ NK cells in ESRD should be investigated as a biomarker for graft rejection and as a potential targeted cell therapy.
Jiaru Liu ’25, Biochemistry – Chemistry Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bruce Branan Class: Organic Chemistry
This project fulfills the Honors Program Course Enrichment requirement. This research aims to provide examples of medicines directly related to material covered in Organic Chemistry I (CHE 221) and Organic Chemistry II (CHE 222). This project instructs students on procedures, and policies followed as selected organic compounds make their way through the drug discovery and approval processes. It highlights specific diseases or physiological issues and the role of organic compounds in a solution. This research utilizes pharmacology to connect material from numerous subjects (e.g., organic chemistry, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology) and adds compelling examples to the course material. Five pharmacons with historical, medical, cultural, and organic chemical importance were chosen, researched, and presented in formal (electronic copy) and summary (PowerPoint and Poster) format.
Megan Moore ’25, Elementary Education with emphasis in Learning and Behavior Disorders Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Allie Rhodes, Dr. Christel Broady Class: ED 290 Facilitating EL Success, ED 320 Exceptional Learner
In this innovative poster session, a teacher candidate in the School of Education at AU, a professor of Special Education, and a professor of ESL describe how they collaborated (with direct input from the teacher candidate) to create a common class for advocacy, program administration, and collaboration so that teacher candidates will not just advocate for their K-12 Special Education and EL students but also for their teacher colleagues in schools with inclusive classrooms and administrators who oversee inclusive schools. Teacher candidates learning to be leaders in the field!
Emma Rose Neely ’24, Chemistry – Biochemistry Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Laura Walther Class: Honors Ethical Issues
As the bioethical landscape evolves with new biotechnologies and policies, it is important to understand the opinions of Christians. It is also important to understand if a person’s identity as a Christian affects the way they think about these issues. Christians are called to be set apart from the world, meaning that their views on bioethics should reflect this. In understanding the way Christians generally approach bioethics, the need for further education on bioethics and the theological framework surrounding them may become evident. A survey was designed to record the opinions of Asbury University students, faculty, and staff on a variety of bioethical issues in relation to their faith background. This paper analyzes the opinions of a sample of this population and seeks to correlate these responses to academic discipline and denominational background. Within a Christian population, there was found to be a diversity of opinion on a variety of bioethical issues. It was found that many young Christians need a better framework to understand bioethical issues so that they can better form opinions on the issues facing our society. In addition, there was found to be an association between aspects of spirituality and opinion on abortion, genetic modification, and genetic testing.
Olivia Parsons ’25, Elementary Education Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Barbara Hamilton Class: ED 276 Arts and Humanities
This project explores the intersections between multimodal literacies and picture books through the Story Hour lab experience. Multimodal literacies are pathways that students are foundationally fluent in that push beyond the confinements of literacy being viewed through the lense of strictly reading comprehension. By means of picture books and multimodalities such as gesture, movement, expression, performance, and play, I explore their crossroads and coordination through qualitative measures. Exploration of these literacies allowed for better awareness of multimodal literacies in children, highlighted deeper implications for future understanding of multimodal literacies, and further demonstrates the powerful implications and future implementations within a classroom.
Ben Posey ’22, History, Media Communications Faculty Sponsor: Dr. David Swartz Class: HIS 375 Study of History
This essay discusses the historiography of indigo culture in South Carolina, focusing on the changing narratives and the evolving role of enslaved West Africans in its production. As a case study, I critique one of the earliest historiographies that romanticized the exceptionalism of business-savvy, Carolina merchants of indigo and ignored the contribution of enslaved West Africans. I analyze how indigo shaped the environment, social relations, and the discourse of cultural identity by drawing from sources in literature, art, and politics. Finally, I argue that today modern historiography faces a complicated relationship with the contributions of enslaved Africans in the narrative of indigo production.
Visuthida Puributr ’23, Biochemistry Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Bruce Branan Class: Senior Seminar
Pepper sprays are also known as Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray. The main component of pepper sprays is capsaicin, a chemical component responsible for the heat and pungency of peppers. In this lab experiment, capsaicin is extracted from different types of pepper sprays and analyzed using the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography to determine what, if any, differences in quality exist between brands that have similar advertisements and pricing, and relate this to any governmental control over capsaicin levels.
Tanner Robards ’25, Elementary Education Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kimberly Brockman, Dr. Tim Crook Class: EDG 410
Elizabeth Shane ’23, Biochemistry Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Laura Walther Class: CHE 475 Senior Seminar
Oleic acid vesicles take the form of spherical bilayer liposomes. These vesicles resemble bacterial cell membranes and can be used as a simulation for the reactivity of biological cells. This similarity allows for research on the reactivity mechanisms between different types of compounds, such as terpenes and oleic acid vesicles. Terpenes are organic hydrocarbons with the formula of (C5H8)n. Terpenoid compounds have the backbone of a terpene with added functional groups. Essential oils contain terpene compounds and are theorized to have antibacterial and antioxidant properties. If these properties were better understood, and the mechanism of their reactivities was studied more thoroughly, it is likely that essential oils could be used in a variety of scientific contexts, such as medicine and agriculture, and food science to improve things such as antibacterial effectiveness of drug compounds or the antioxidant properties of foods. The reactivity of these oils on biological cells can be better understood by first determining their reactivity with oleic acid vesicles. The study aims to determine whether essential oils, which contain a variety of other compounds in addition to the terpene compounds, will improve or inhibit the reactivities of the terpene compounds with the oleic acid vesicles.
Trinity Shearer ’24, Elementary Education Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Cheryll Crowe-Johnson Class: MAT 460
This research was something that I had in mind since the pandemic. It has effected me in many ways and I was a senior in high school when the COVID-19 struck the world. I was wondering if it had affected those who were just coming into school just as much. I conducted research on students and their assessments. I collected data that was very surprising. This research has opened my eyes to new assessing techniques that I will use in my future classroom.
Katie Simon ’23, Elementary Education Faculty Sponsor: Dr. David Riel, Dr. Lewis Willian Class: Student Teaching
Prior to student teaching, teacher candidates at Asbury University are required to exhibit competence in curriculum, content knowledge and teaching skill through development and implementation of a three-day unit that includes teaching context, standards and lesson targets, assessments, lesson plans, reflection, and personal growth. Students develop and present this complete instructional framework to exhibit their skills and talents in all areas of lesson planning and execution prior to their student teaching experience, and twice again during their supervised student teaching. This research will display the 10 components of the Asbury University instructional framework and examine the disaggregated results of our candidates across all demographics over time – including longitudinal data results and changes in candidate performance. Processes that support growth for candidates in curriculum implementation will be included.
Hailey Small ’23, English Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Erin Penner Class: ENG 345 Experimental Forms
Until men left the first battlefields of World War I hysteria was a women’s disease. The term “shell shock” was published only six months after the war began, but shell shock symptoms were later also categorized under similar diagnoses, including hysteria. These illnesses were new among men, but women had been diagnosed with hysteria for thousands of years, far from any warfront. Medical professionals struggled to treat mental illness in women, so there was no effective treatment when men started to experience similar symptoms. Just like an amputated limb or gunshot wound, a shell shock or hysteria diagnosis (illnesses now typically diagnosed as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder) changed the course of a soldier’s life, destining them to isolation, poverty, and debilitating symptoms. For many men suffering from these diagnoses, it was women – not doctors – who bridged the gap between mental illness and rehabilitation. Women learned to treat their own mental illnesses after doctors failed, and their firsthand experience made them willing and qualified to provide more effective treatment. As an early form of occupational therapy, women taught their patients to create handicrafts, a gendered and historically feminine art form. These women offered shell shocked soldiers a new opportunity for a fulfilling life after war, even while mainstream medicine often fell short.
Cheyenne Sullivan ’23, Biology Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Marvin Ruffner Class: Senior Research
Trees are very important to humans and animals and to their environment. They help clean the air we breathe, and they provide us with food and medicine as well as shade. There are approximately 228 billon trees in the United States. Asbury University has 43 tree species and 22 tree families, and Asbury’s campus has 285 trees altogether. Asbury University’s main campus is 65 acres. We identified all the trees on the main campus, excluding the ones by the Student Center and the Luce Center. We then put them into their certain family groups. Once in the family groups, we then proceeded to do two calculations: the species evenness and the Shannon-Wiener Species Diversity calculation. The Shannon-Wiener Species Diversity calculation came out to 2.895 and the species evenness came out to 1.461. We then compared our results to Bellarmine University which is a 145-acre campus. They had 51 different species and their Shannon-Wiener Species Diversity calculation came out to 3.223. When we compared the two, we saw that Asbury is 75 acres smaller but has only 11 less species than Bellarmine and with a 0.328 difference in the Shannon-Wiener Species Diversity calculation. This shows us that even though we are a small campus, we still have a good amount of diversity and compare very similarly to a much bigger campus. In the future, we will be getting a group of students to take care of the trees as well as getting a professor to lead the group. Once we get students and a professor, we will then create a tree plan and then apply to be a Tree Campus USA certified by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Alaina Zacharias ’23, Biochemistry Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Will Shafer Class: Senior Research
The electroencephalogram, or EEG, is a classic monitoring technology used to detect electrical activity within the brain. During an EEG, electrodes are placed on the scalp to measure electrical potential differences generated by synchronized neuronal activity in various regions of the brain. The typical EEG technologies used today are bulky, inconvenient, and uncomfortable. In addition, EEG monitoring can be time-consuming and expensive, which places a burden specifically on those who require repetitive testing or long-term monitoring. This research aimed to develop a low-cost, rudimentary device to measure electrical activity within the brain. Dry electrode technology in the form of a wire-perforated head covering was connected to a Neurosky ThinkGear and bluetooth chipset to create the brainwave-measuring device. An adequate device was assembled; however, a technological error was found during testing. Therefore, quantitative and qualitative measurements of brainwaves using this device have yet to be obtained. It is possible that the error is due to a defective ThinkGear or Bluetooth module. A second trial is currently being conducted using a new chipset to determine if this is the source of error. If the technological issue is resolved, a functioning device of this nature could serve as a starting point to confront the limitations of current EEG technologies.